| |
How
To Live The Christ Life
Man can not naturally live the Christ-life. But Christ
has promised to come into our hearts and live in us. In
order that we may have Christ dwell in our hearts and that
we may live his life, there must be a giving up of our
self-life. There must be annihilation of self that Christ
may live. It is truly wonderful and as glorious as it is
wonderful that man can live the life of Christ in this
world. But here is the secret: it is man ceasing to live
the self life and Christ living in him.
Imagine a hollow brass figure in
the exact image of a man. Suppose you fill this hollow
figure with a kind of life which we shall call self-life.
This life goes to using the hands and feet, and eyes,
ears, tongue, in short, all the members of this brass
figure, but using them in the interest of itself. Now you
desire to make a change; you want that image to speak,
act, and think only for you. You must first put to death
the life that is using the figure, cleanse it entirely
out, and then get into it yourself. Once in, you can use
all the members of that image for yourself. Your body is
that image. There was a life in you that used all the
members of your body in the interest of self. But there
has been a change. You were made a new creature. The life
you once had was put to death— was crucified; then
Christ stepped into your heart, and now he uses all the
members of your body for himself. You still live, yet not
you, but Christ lives in you. Once you did things for
yourself; now you do them for Christ. Just as you once
lived purposely and intentionally for yourself, now you do
things purposely and intentionally for Jesus, because it
is he that lives, and not you yourself. You remember how
once you would plan for yourself. In the evening as you
lay upon your bed and again in the morning and throughout
the day you would think about what you were going to eat
or drink, what you were going to have for clothing, where
you were going to live, where you were going to go, and
what you were going to do. But now you are changed; you
are a new creature. Now it is not you that lives, but
Christ lives in you. Now you eat not for yourself but for
Jesus. You now go, not where self would lead you, but
where that life in you loves to go and would have you do.
You do things, not for yourself, but for Jesus.
O Christ, I die that thou mayest live,
That thou mayest live in me;
That all I think or speak or do,
May be, O Lord, for thee.
May not the least of self remain,
But all be put to death.
Oh, may I nothing do for self,
Nor draw one selfish breath!
To have my Saviour live in me,
To occupy the whole,
To make my heart his royal throne
And take complete control—
'Tis all I ask; 'tis all I wish;
'Tis all my heart's desire,
Content if but a wayside bush
To hold God's holy fire.
Low at thy feet, O Christ I fall
A yielded lump of clay,
For thee to mold me as thou wilt,
To have thy own sweet way.
|
|
